Dental Hygiene Program

Dental Hygiene Fact Sheet

Random Dental Hygiene Image

Registered Dental Hygienists are licensed important members of the dental care team who use their knowledge and clinical skills to provide direct patient care. Strong interpersonal skills are necessary to motivate and educate patients on methods to prevent oral disease and to maintain oral health. If you enjoy helping people, working with your hands as well as your mind, and are interested in improving oral health Dental Hygiene may be for you!

Job Description/Duties

  • Generally work with dentists to create comprehensive care plan and work collaboratively to meet oral needs of patients
  • Provide dental health and nutritional education for individuals and groups
  • Perform oral cancer screening
  • Examine periodontal (gum and bone) structure around and supporting teeth
  • Expose and interpret radiographs
  • Scaling and root planing
  • Administer local anesthetic/ nitrous oxide sedation
  • Administer topical fluoride treatments
  • Place sealants

Employment Opportunities

  • Full time and part time
  • Private practice
  • Public health/ consumer advocate
  • Teaching/administration
  • Research
  • Legislative advocate
  • Corporate representative
  • General and specialty practices
  • Hospitals
  • Nursing homes
  • Public health clinics
  • Schools

Salary and Benefits

  • Varies depending upon responsibilities and geographic location
  • Benefit packages may be provided through employer and/or as a member of the American Dental Hygienists' Association

Lifestyle

  • Very portable profession
  • Prestige–highly skilled discipline
  • Variety–work with diverse individuals/groups
  • children, elderly, medically compromised, dental compromised
  • Creativity–educating/motivating diverse cultures
  • Flexibility–full/part time available in variety of settings–mix and match to fit your lifestyle and goals
  • Security employment opportunities readily available year round

Career Development

  • Life-long learning is an essential component for knowledge and required for re-licensure.
  • Local and national opportunities for professional development
  • Bachelor and Master online degree completion programs available
  • Articulation agreements with some programs accept completed general education and DH courses

Education/Licensing Requirements

  • A minimum 2- year education once accepted into program
  • Program requires specific prerequisites for admission eligibility
  • TMCC: (see DH brochure and TMCC College Catalogue for complete information)

Technical Standards

The prospective dental hygiene student must have the following capabilities:

  • good hand/eye coordination and dexterity for instrumentation skills necessary for direct patient care
  • a current Health Care Provider CPR card.
  • be free from health conditions which put others at risk

Program Prerequisites

Must be completed prior to submitting an application

  • Biology 223, Biology 224, Biology 251, Chemistry 121

Are also included as the science courses for the A.S. degree

General Education Courses

  • DIVERSITY* (3credits)
  • ENGLISH (6 credits)
    REQUIRED: ENG 101 & ENG 102
  • FINE ARTS* (3 credits)
    ART 270 (recommended) (meets Diversity req't)
  • HUMANITIES (3 credits)
    REQUIRED: PHIL 135
  • MATHEMATICS (6 credits)
    REQUIRED: MATH 126 & MATH 127 (OR HIGHER MATH)
  • SOCIAL SCIENCE (6 credits)
    REQUIRED: SOC 101
    REQUIRED: PSY 101
  • US & NV CONSTITUTIONS* (3 credits)

* See TMCC Course Catalog for choices

All GE courses strongly recommended to be completed prior to submitting an application

Program Costs

Approximately $ 10,000 (subject to change)

Fees associated with national and state exams cannot be determined and are over and above the program costs.

Examination and Licensure

Examination and Licensure: All states require that dental hygienists be licensed. In addition to successfully graduating from an accredited dental hygiene program and passing the written Dental Hygiene National Board Examination, graduates must pass the NV State Clinical Board or Western Regional Board Examination (WREB) in order to practice dental hygiene in Nevada. The Nevada Dental Practice Act (NRS631.290) requires that candidates for licensure be of good moral character and be citizens of the US or lawfully entitled to remain and work in the US. Prospective students are advised that if they have a felony or misdemeanor convictions or have a history of substance abuse or infectious disease that this my preclude subsequent licensure as a dental hygienist in Nevada (NAC 631.050)

Program Requirements

Course PrefixCourse TitleNum. of Credits
DH 102Oral Biology4
DH 103Head & Neck Anatomy2
DH 104Dental Hygiene I3
DH 105Intro to Clinical Practice2
DH 107Legal & Ethical Implications in Dental Hygiene1
DH 110Concepts of Oral Health2
DH 112Oral Radiology3
DH 113General & Oral Pathology3
DH 115Clinical Practice I3
DH 117Periodontics2
DH 120Fundamentals of Nutrition In Dentistry3
DH 202Pharmacology2
DH 203Special Patients2
DH 205Clinical Practice II5
DH 207Periodontics II2
DH 208Community Dental Health2
DH 209Pain & Anxiety Control3
DH 211Dental Materials & Techniques for Dental Hygienists2
DH 215Clinical Practice III5
DH 216Principles of Dental Practice1
DH 217Periodontics III1
DH 218Community Dental Health2
55 Credits in Dental Hygiene
DH 299Skills Lab1 credit pass/fail required each semester